Yesterday the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin gave Xcel Energy what it wanted – a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity for the CapX 2020 Hampton-Rochester-LaCrosse transmission line.  During discussion, members of the PSC dissed the Dept. of Transportation arguments about restrictions along the Scenic Byway, and in the process, dissed the Great River Road National Scenic Byway.

It was online, but the video wasn’t working and it was difficult to retrieve.  So now I’ve just got to find it in the archives and look at the transcript to figure out what happened!

Here’s the Order directing Applicants to cough up some info, in the interim while they’re hammering out the details for the final Order:

Order, May 10, 2012

And here are a few of the reports:

CapX route OK’d by regulators

CapX route ‘still an atrocity,’ Holmen administrator says

American Transmission Co. expects to decide by fall on at least two possible routes connecting CapX to Madison that will be proposed to the Public Service Commission in early 2013.

“This is just the beginning,” Heinig said.

… and…

“I just see this as a very disappointing decision,” said Marilyn Pedretti, clerk for town of Holland and a La Crosse County supervisor. “I was hoping they would see there really isn’t a need and doing more localized energy… Instead they’re sticking with 1950s technology.”

The final decision is pending, we need to see it in writing!  AAAAAARGH… I can’t wait to see how they explain this, particularly given the way staff structured the Decision Matrix.

NoCapX & CETF Comments on Briefing Memo and Decision Matrix